US6936178B2 - Apparatus for and method of settling of mineral slurries - Google Patents
Apparatus for and method of settling of mineral slurries Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US6936178B2 US6936178B2 US10/289,789 US28978902A US6936178B2 US 6936178 B2 US6936178 B2 US 6936178B2 US 28978902 A US28978902 A US 28978902A US 6936178 B2 US6936178 B2 US 6936178B2
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- 239000002002 slurry Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 240
- 229910052500 inorganic mineral Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims abstract description 16
- 239000011707 mineral Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 16
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 15
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 37
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 17
- 239000011362 coarse particle Substances 0.000 claims description 28
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 claims description 15
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000009825 accumulation Methods 0.000 claims description 10
- 239000010419 fine particle Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000008394 flocculating agent Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 11
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 9
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000000052 comparative effect Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000004576 sand Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000004131 Bayer process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000009826 distribution Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 3
- 229910001570 bauxite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 230000029087 digestion Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000003311 flocculating effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000008719 thickening Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000002562 thickening agent Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000005406 washing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 208000002430 Multiple chemical sensitivity Diseases 0.000 description 1
- PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium oxide Inorganic materials [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3] PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000280 densification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000006872 improvement Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000002028 premature Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008439 repair process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/0018—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation provided with a pump mounted in or on a settling tank
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/0027—Floating sedimentation devices
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/0039—Settling tanks provided with contact surfaces, e.g. baffles, particles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/01—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation using flocculating agents
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/02—Settling tanks with single outlets for the separated liquid
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/02—Settling tanks with single outlets for the separated liquid
- B01D21/04—Settling tanks with single outlets for the separated liquid with moving scrapers
- B01D21/06—Settling tanks with single outlets for the separated liquid with moving scrapers with rotating scrapers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/02—Settling tanks with single outlets for the separated liquid
- B01D21/08—Settling tanks with single outlets for the separated liquid provided with flocculating compartments
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/24—Feed or discharge mechanisms for settling tanks
- B01D21/2405—Feed mechanisms for settling tanks
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/24—Feed or discharge mechanisms for settling tanks
- B01D21/2405—Feed mechanisms for settling tanks
- B01D21/2416—Liquid distributors with a plurality of feed points
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/24—Feed or discharge mechanisms for settling tanks
- B01D21/2427—The feed or discharge opening located at a distant position from the side walls
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/24—Feed or discharge mechanisms for settling tanks
- B01D21/245—Discharge mechanisms for the sediments
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
- B01D21/30—Control equipment
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D2221/00—Applications of separation devices
- B01D2221/04—Separation devices for treating liquids from earth drilling, mining
Definitions
- This invention relates to settlers for mineral slurries (sometimes referred to as gravity settlers, pressure settlers, clarifiers, separators, thickeners, deep thickeners, and the like) used in industrial processes. More particularly, the invention relates to settlers used for decanting or thickening slurries of minerals or mineral tailings, for example red mud produced during the extraction of alumina from bauxite by the Bayer alkaline digestion process.
- the apparatus consists of a large open-topped tank having an outlet for thickened slurry at the center of the bottom wall and an outlet for clarified liquid in a side wall of the tank near the open top. Slurry to be decanted is introduced into the tank via a feed well positioned at the center of the tank near the top.
- the feed well is an upright cylinder consisting of a cylindrical side wall having an open upper end and a lower end that is partially closed by an annular inward projection or lip from the lower end of the side wall.
- the inward projection terminates short of the center of the feed well, leaving a circular opening at the center.
- the feed well is partially submerged beneath the upper surface of the slurry in the tank and fresh slurry is fed into the inside of the feed well below the slurry surface tangentially along the cylindrical inner wall, creating a circular flow of slurry within the feed well.
- a flocculant or other chemical may be added to the feed well for mixture with the slurry so that flocs may form and grow in a single location, and the flocculated slurry mixture then descends through the central opening at the bottom of the feed well into the body of the tank where settling takes place.
- the settling process is assisted by an upright rotating stirrer in the form of a rake or the like arranged centrally in the tank.
- slurries made up of relatively fine suspended particles that do not differ greatly in diameter throughout the slurry.
- red mud from the Bayer process usually has a particle size in the range of up to 10 microns.
- slurries may contain coarse particles, in addition to fine particles, problems can arise.
- some slurries may contain sand or other coarse particles in addition to mud particles.
- Particles of sand may have diameters of more than 75 microns, and often more than 100 or even 400 microns (in fact, sand particles may even be in the 1000 to 2000 micron size range).
- An object of the present invention is to improve gravity settler design, particularly to accommodate slurries containing coarse particles.
- Another object of the invention is to provide a method of decanting mineral slurries containing both fine and coarse particles while minimizing problems caused by unwanted solid deposits.
- Another object of the invention is to provide a way of delaying or eliminating the formation of harmful solid deposits in settlers used for decanting mineral slurries.
- a settler for decanting mineral slurries comprising a tank for holding and decanting a body of slurry to form a thickened slurry as a lower layer and a clarified liquid as an upper layer, the tank having a side wall, a bottom and a top, an outlet for the thickened slurry at the bottom of the tank, an outlet for the clarified liquid layer near the top of the tank, a slurry inlet means near the top of the tank for introducing fresh slurry into the tank, the slurry inlet means having a slurry opening through which fresh slurry joins the body of slurry in the tank, and a stirrer having a generally vertical axis around which the stirrer rotates or reciprocates, wherein said slurry opening is displaced laterally relative to said generally vertical axis of the stirrer and said slurry inlet means is configured to allow said fresh slurry to enter said slurry body without accumulating solids from
- a method of decanting a mineral slurry which comprises introducing fresh slurry into a body of slurry in a tank having a stirrer rotating or reciprocating about a generally vertical axis to form a thickened slurry as a lower layer and a clarified liquid as an upper layer, removing thickened slurry from an outlet at a bottom of the tank, and removing clarified liquid adjacent to a top of the tank, wherein the fresh slurry is introduced into the tank through a slurry inlet means having an opening spaced laterally from the vertical axis of the stirrer without causing substantial quantities of solids to accumulate from the fresh slurry at the slurry inlet.
- the accumulation of solids from the fresh slurry immediately upstream of the opening in the slurry inlet means may be avoided by maintaining a suitably high rate of flow of fresh slurry throughout the entire slurry inlet means and the slurry opening to prevent settling of solids.
- this can be achieved by ensuring that the slurry opening is the same size (area) as the cross-section of the slurry inlet means immediately upstream of the slurry opening, or is not significantly smaller.
- displaced laterally we mean that the vertical axis of the stirrer (or an upward extension thereof) does not pass through the slurry opening as the opening is displaced horizontally sideways relative to the axis.
- the slurry opening normally opens substantially downwardly, thus facing the bottom of the tank.
- the vertical axis of the stirrer is preferably aligned concentrically with the outlet for the thickened slurry, with both the axis and the outlet being in the center of the tank.
- the slurry opening then preferably has a center positioned at a distance from the center of the tank by at least 5%, and more preferably at least 10%, of the distance between the center and the side wall of the tank. In fact, the slurry opening may be positioned 50% or more of the distance between the center of the tank and the side wall, and indeed may be positioned immediately adjacent to the side wall of the tank.
- the stirrer is preferably in the form of a rake having a rotatable or reciprocable central vertical rod aligned with the vertical axis.
- the central vertical rod preferably supports a number of radially-projecting arms or tines for cutting through the layer of thickened slurry to assist with de-watering of the slurry.
- the arms upon rotation, create a stirred volume of the material being treated and the opening of the slurry inlet means may be positioned either completely above the stirred volume or extending partially (or even fully) laterally beyond the stirred volume.
- the slurry inlet means is preferably in the form of a vertically oriented feed well provided with a slurry opening at the bottom of the feed well creating a slurry flow into the body of slurry in the tank.
- the feed well has a cross-sectional area transversely of the slurry flow immediately upstream of the slurry opening, and ideally the slurry opening has a cross-sectional area that is at least 80% as large as the cross-sectional area of the feed well immediately upstream of the slurry opening. This avoids or prevents substantial accumulation of solids from the fresh slurry in the feed well immediately upstream of the slurry opening as the fresh slurry does not become unduly quiescent within the feed well.
- slurry inlet means may be employed, including a simple inlet pipe terminating in a delivery hole for introducing fresh slurry into the tank.
- the slurry inlet means are preferably of such a design that a generally cylindrical column or “plume” of fresh flocculating slurry is introduced into the slurry body in the tank.
- the settler of the invention may be provided with more than one slurry inlet means, all of which have slurry openings displaced laterally relative to the vertical axis of the stirrer.
- the tank of the settler preferably has a bottom wall and the outlet for the thickened slurry is preferably positioned in the bottom wall of the tank.
- the bottom wall may be in the form of an inverted cone extending downwardly from the side wall to the outlet for the thickened slurry.
- the cone ideally has an angle in the range of 5 to 60°.
- the vertical shaft of the stirrer is preferably aligned vertically with the outlet for the thickened slurry, in which case the slurry opening is also necessarily displaced laterally relative to the outlet for the thickened slurry.
- the present invention may be applied to gravity settlers as well as to pressure gravity settler vessels such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,561.
- FIG. 1 is vertical cross-section of a gravity settler showing one preferred example of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a gravity settler similar to that of FIG. 1 but equipped with a plurality of off-center feed wells for the slurry;
- FIG. 3 is a graph of the evolution of underflow solids with time illustrating results obtained in the following Comparative Example and the Examples.
- FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings A vertical cross-section of a gravity settler 10 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
- the description of this embodiment refers to the treatment of red mud as an example, but apparatus according to the present invention may also be used with other mineral slurries, including those that do not contain coarse particles.
- Red mud slurry, washing liquor and flocculent are introduced into a tank 11 , which acts as a gravity settler, through a feed well 12 acting as a slurry inlet means for the settler.
- the slurry collects within the tank to an upper surface 13 near the top 14 of the tank.
- the mud flocs settle to form a lower layer of thickened mud 15 and an upper layer of clarified liquor 16 separated by a mud/liquor interface 17 .
- the thickened mud is withdrawn from a lower or underflow outlet 18 and the clarified liquor overflows at an upper outlet 19 .
- a central stirrer in the form of a rotating rake 20 operated by a motor 21 is provided in the tank.
- the rake consists of an upright central vertical shaft 22 having a number of upwardly-angled, radially-extending arms 26 forming tines rigidly attached to the central shaft. As it rotates around a central vertical axis 30 , the rake 20 forms channels in the flocculated solids (active mud) which allow egress of water to the surface and thus facilitate densification of the mud.
- active mud flocculated solids
- the feed well 12 which is partially submerged in the slurry in the tank 11 , has an upright cylindrical wall 12 A, an inwardly-directed bottom lip 12 B defining a central hole 12 C, and an open top 12 D.
- An inlet means pipe 31 introduces fresh slurry into the feed well as a tangential flow that causes the slurry to swirl around the inside of the feed well and then to exit the central hole 12 C. This minimizes currents in the tank and allows mixing of slurry and flocculent and the like in the feed well before the slurry enters the tank.
- feed wells in this kind of apparatus are positioned exactly at the center of the tank immediately above (or usually surrounding) the stirrer and directly above the outlet 18 for thickened slurry as shown, for example, in our prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,507.
- the inventors of the present invention have now found that it is unexpectedly advantageous to position the feed well 12 off-center relative to the stirrer, i.e., in the illustrated embodiment, at a position anywhere between the central vertical axis 30 of the stirrer 20 and side wall 34 of the tank 11 .
- the feed well is thus laterally displaced relative to the central vertical axis 30 and the rake shaft 22 (i.e. it is not positioned in the immediate vicinity of the central rake shaft).
- the feed well 12 or other slurry inlet means may be positioned off-center of the tank, but that it be positioned laterally of the central vertical axis 30 of the rake.
- the shaft 22 of the rake which coincides with the central vertical axis 30 , is normally centered in the tank, but need not be in this position.
- the rake is normally concentric with the underflow outlet as shown, it may be positioned to one side of the outlet, in which case the feed well is preferably laterally displaced both from the underflow outlet 18 as well as the central vertical axis 30 of the rake.
- the sections of the arms 26 are moving more quickly and the force that such arms can apply to the surrounding slurry is greater. Therefore, there is more likelihood that coarse particles in the slurry adjacent to the arms in these locations will be swept up, separated from each other and mixed with the surrounding thickened body of fine slurry particles, so that they can eventually be swept away through the underflow outlet 18 with less of an opportunity to agglomerate together and become cemented into a solid mass.
- the feed well 12 or other slurry inlet means should preferably be positioned so that the slurry opening 12 C of the feed well is displaced laterally from the vertical axis 30 of the stirrer to such an extent that there is no overlapping area of the opening 12 C and the vertical shaft 22 of the rake.
- the center of the slurry opening 12 C is displaced laterally from the central tank axis by a distance of at least 5%, and more preferably at least 10%, of the length of the radius of the tank (the distance between the central tank axis and tank wall 34 ).
- the bottom wall 36 of the tank is preferably in the form of an inverted cone leading to underflow outlet 18 as shown.
- the angle of the cone (the slope of the bottom wall relative to the horizontal) is preferably in the range of 5 to 60°.
- the bottom wall may be completely flat, if desired.
- the underflow outlet 18 is shown as a hole in the bottom wall 36
- the underflow outlet may alternatively be an upwardly facing opening in a pipe extending into the tank from the bottom wall or a side wall.
- the densified mud tends to form an inactive body around the actively raked volume of mud, and thus tends to form an inner shell defining a shape leading to the underflow outlet and corresponding to the volume swept by the rake.
- the effective shape of the inside of the tank 11 is therefore defined by the shape and extent of the rake, rather than by the shape and dimensions of the tank itself. Virtually any shape or configuration of tank interior may therefore be employed.
- slurry inlet means While the illustrated embodiment has a feed well 12 as a slurry inlet means, this is not essential.
- the slurry may be introduced directly into the body of slurry in the tank directly through an open-ended pipe or the like. If a flocculent is employed, it may be introduced into the pipe upstream of the open end so that mixing takes place before the slurry enters the settler. Whatever arrangement is used for the slurry inlet means, there should most preferably be no opportunity provided within the vicinity of the slurry inlet means for settling and accumulation of the solids from the fresh slurry.
- a feed well 12 may have a lower end that is either completely open, or that has an inwardly projecting lip 12 B. The feed well may cause the slurry flow from the pipe 31 to slow, but the lip (if present at all) is too narrow to permit the accumulation of solids to an undesirable extent.
- the open area of the slurry opening of the feed well should amount to 75 to 100%, and more preferably at least 80%, of the total area defined by the side wall of the feed well immediately adjacent to and upstream of the central opening 12 C.
- This preferred ratio of open area to maximum possible feed area at a slurry outlet applies to any kind inlet means device used for introduction of the slurry into the settler tank to avoid coarse particle accumulation.
- each such feed well should preferably be positioned at a lateral distance from the center of the stirrer (and the center of the tank) and may be positioned at the side wall of the tank. Two, three, four or more such feed wells may therefore be provided in a symmetrical arrangement around the center line of the tank.
- FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings is a plan view of a further preferred embodiment of a settler according to the present invention showing the use of four feed wells 12 ′, 12 ′′, 12 ′′′ and 12 ′′′′ for the introduction of slurry into the tank.
- Two of the feed wells 12 ′′ and 12 ′′′′ are positioned between the central axis 30 of the stirrer and the tank wall 34 , and the other two 12 ′ and 12 ′′′ are positioned immediately adjacent to the inner wall of the tank (actually touching the inner tank wall 34 ).
- the arms 26 of the stirrer sweep an volume bounded by the dotted circle 38 .
- feed wells 12 ′′ and 12 ′′′′ are positioned well within the boundary of circle 38 , whereas feed wells 12 ′ and 12 ′′′ are positioned partly outside the circle 38 .
- the invention is found to be effective for feed wells in both such positions, and in fact the feed wells located at the tank wall may be more effective at preventing coarse particle build-up even if they are not within the area swept by the rake.
- the apparatus of the invention may be used with slurries that do not contain coarse particles, there may be advantage in having the feature of this invention even when handling a slurry containing almost no coarse particles.
- the apparatus of the invention is particularly intended for slurries containing particles generally of two size distributions, i.e. fine particles and coarse particles.
- the fine particles generally have diameters in the range of 0 to 10 microns
- the coarse particles generally have diameters in the size range of greater than 75 microns (and more usually greater than 100 microns or 400 microns or even 1000 to 2000 microns).
- the apparatus of the invention is particularly advantageous when used with slurries for which the coarse fraction forms at least 10% of the total slurry solids by weight (w/w), and more preferably 10 to 50% by weight.
- the conventional settler designs can often operate satisfactorily only when the percentage of coarse particles amounts to less than 5% by weight.
- red mud from the Bayer process is a material to which the present invention may be suitably applied, but it is not the only suitable material. Any mineral slurry containing coarse and fine particles (or only fine particles) may be used in the invention.
- the apparatus may even be used for the settling of slurries of sands produced from oil extraction from tar sands.
- the invention is particularly suited for gravity settlers having a central rake of the type described above.
- the arrangement of the invention keeps coarse particles away from the central underflow outlet.
- the invention may also be used with gravity settlers that are non-circular. In such cases there may be no center of the tank, i.e. a point that is equi-distant from the side walls.
- the inlet means for the slurry should be separated in a horizontal direction from the vertical driving shaft of the rake and any area not swept by the rake arm.
- the slurry inlet means should be located between the central axis of the rake and the periphery of the swept area.
- Red mud was obtained from the digestion of a mixture of bauxite (60% Brazilian, 20% African, 20% Australian) using a conventional Bayer process.
- the mud sample under test was collected from one of the last stage of mud washing circuit.
- the temperature of the mud was 30° C.
- the settler used in this Example was of the design shown in FIG. 1 except that the tank was equipped with a central feed well arrangement.
- the settler tank had a volume of 1250 liters and was circular with a conical shape at the bottom (30° angle).
- the diameter of the circular section was 1.25 m and total height with cone was 1.6 m.
- the tank was equipped with a raking mechanism turning at a rotation speed varying between 0.1 to 2 rpm and had a central bottom discharge point (underflow outlet).
- the feed flow rate for the slurry was 10 liters/minutes with a solids concentration varying between 50 and 100 g/l.
- the feed solids contained 19% (w/w) coarse particles measured on a dry basis.
- the coarse particles had a median size of 450 microns with a widespread size distribution.
- the duration of the test was 48 hours.
- the feed solids contained 15% (w/w) coarse particles measured on a dry basis.
- the feed solids contained 27% (w/w) coarse particles measured on a dry basis.
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Extraction Or Liquid Replacement (AREA)
- Mixers Of The Rotary Stirring Type (AREA)
- Treatment Of Sludge (AREA)
- Separation Of Suspended Particles By Flocculating Agents (AREA)
- Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)
- Meat, Egg Or Seafood Products (AREA)
- Steroid Compounds (AREA)
- Liquid Carbonaceous Fuels (AREA)
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US10/289,789 US6936178B2 (en) | 2001-11-09 | 2002-11-07 | Apparatus for and method of settling of mineral slurries |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US34586701P | 2001-11-09 | 2001-11-09 | |
| US10/289,789 US6936178B2 (en) | 2001-11-09 | 2002-11-07 | Apparatus for and method of settling of mineral slurries |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| US20030106860A1 US20030106860A1 (en) | 2003-06-12 |
| US6936178B2 true US6936178B2 (en) | 2005-08-30 |
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| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US10/289,789 Expired - Lifetime US6936178B2 (en) | 2001-11-09 | 2002-11-07 | Apparatus for and method of settling of mineral slurries |
Country Status (16)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US6936178B2 (de) |
| EP (1) | EP1441828B1 (de) |
| CN (1) | CN1289167C (de) |
| AT (1) | ATE323540T1 (de) |
| AU (1) | AU2002336869B2 (de) |
| BR (1) | BR0213983B1 (de) |
| CA (1) | CA2462354C (de) |
| DE (1) | DE60210800T2 (de) |
| MX (1) | MXPA04003466A (de) |
| OA (1) | OA12719A (de) |
| PE (1) | PE20030657A1 (de) |
| PT (1) | PT1441828E (de) |
| RU (1) | RU2316483C2 (de) |
| UA (1) | UA78727C2 (de) |
| WO (1) | WO2003039707A1 (de) |
| ZA (1) | ZA200403405B (de) |
Cited By (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20080085851A1 (en) * | 2006-10-06 | 2008-04-10 | Vary Petroleum, Llc | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| US20080121589A1 (en) * | 2006-11-27 | 2008-05-29 | Scott Blair Godlien | Fluid clarification system, method, and apparatus |
| US20090261044A1 (en) * | 2008-04-17 | 2009-10-22 | Godlien Scott | Environmental monitoring and control system and method |
| US20090321325A1 (en) * | 2006-10-06 | 2009-12-31 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| US20100193403A1 (en) * | 2006-10-06 | 2010-08-05 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Processes for bitumen separation |
| EP2886177A1 (de) | 2013-12-20 | 2015-06-24 | Rio Tinto Alcan International Limited | Absetzbecken zur Dekantierung von Mineralschlämmen und Verfahren zum Trennen einer klaren Flüssigkeit von verdicktem Schlamm aus den Mineralschlämmen |
| US20150298028A1 (en) * | 2012-11-20 | 2015-10-22 | Kurita Water Industries Ltd. | Settling tank and method of operating the same |
| US10508042B2 (en) | 2013-12-20 | 2019-12-17 | Rio Tinto Alcan International Limited | Process and installation for producing alumina trihydrate by alkaline digestion of bauxite ore |
Families Citing this family (24)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| AT505281B1 (de) * | 2007-08-24 | 2008-12-15 | Abz Zierler Ges M B H & Co Kg | Vorrichtung zum abscheiden von feststoffteilchen aus einer trübe |
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| US8147681B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2012-04-03 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Separating compositions |
| US20100193403A1 (en) * | 2006-10-06 | 2010-08-05 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Processes for bitumen separation |
| US20080085851A1 (en) * | 2006-10-06 | 2008-04-10 | Vary Petroleum, Llc | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| US20090321325A1 (en) * | 2006-10-06 | 2009-12-31 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| US7749379B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2010-07-06 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| US7758746B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2010-07-20 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| US8062512B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2011-11-22 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Processes for bitumen separation |
| US7785462B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2010-08-31 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| US7862709B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2011-01-04 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| US7867385B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2011-01-11 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| US8372272B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2013-02-12 | Vary Petrochem Llc | Separating compositions |
| US8147680B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2012-04-03 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Separating compositions |
| US8414764B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2013-04-09 | Vary Petrochem Llc | Separating compositions |
| US7972501B2 (en) | 2006-11-27 | 2011-07-05 | Scott Blair Godlien | Fluid clarification system and apparatus |
| US8308958B2 (en) | 2006-11-27 | 2012-11-13 | Scott Blair Godlien | Fluid clarification system, method, and apparatus |
| US20080121589A1 (en) * | 2006-11-27 | 2008-05-29 | Scott Blair Godlien | Fluid clarification system, method, and apparatus |
| US20090261044A1 (en) * | 2008-04-17 | 2009-10-22 | Godlien Scott | Environmental monitoring and control system and method |
| US20150298028A1 (en) * | 2012-11-20 | 2015-10-22 | Kurita Water Industries Ltd. | Settling tank and method of operating the same |
| US9649578B2 (en) * | 2012-11-20 | 2017-05-16 | Kurita Water Industries Ltd. | Settling tank and method of operating the same |
| EP2886177A1 (de) | 2013-12-20 | 2015-06-24 | Rio Tinto Alcan International Limited | Absetzbecken zur Dekantierung von Mineralschlämmen und Verfahren zum Trennen einer klaren Flüssigkeit von verdicktem Schlamm aus den Mineralschlämmen |
| WO2015092504A1 (en) | 2013-12-20 | 2015-06-25 | Rio Tinto Alcan International Limited | Settler for decanting mineral slurries and method for separating clarified liquid from thickened slurry of said mineral slurries |
| US20170001129A1 (en) * | 2013-12-20 | 2017-01-05 | Rio Tinto Alcan International Limited | Settler for Decanting Mineral Slurries & Method for Separating Clarified Liquid from Thickened Slurry of Said Mineral Slurries |
| US10508042B2 (en) | 2013-12-20 | 2019-12-17 | Rio Tinto Alcan International Limited | Process and installation for producing alumina trihydrate by alkaline digestion of bauxite ore |
| US10898830B2 (en) * | 2013-12-20 | 2021-01-26 | Rio Tinto Alcan International Limited | Settler for decanting mineral slurries and method for separating clarified liquid from thickened slurry of said mineral slurries |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CN1289167C (zh) | 2006-12-13 |
| BR0213983B1 (pt) | 2011-07-26 |
| DE60210800T2 (de) | 2006-11-30 |
| RU2004114840A (ru) | 2005-05-20 |
| AU2002336869B2 (en) | 2007-12-20 |
| ATE323540T1 (de) | 2006-05-15 |
| ZA200403405B (en) | 2005-07-27 |
| PT1441828E (pt) | 2006-09-29 |
| CA2462354A1 (en) | 2003-05-15 |
| EP1441828A1 (de) | 2004-08-04 |
| RU2316483C2 (ru) | 2008-02-10 |
| US20030106860A1 (en) | 2003-06-12 |
| CA2462354C (en) | 2008-07-29 |
| EP1441828B1 (de) | 2006-04-19 |
| OA12719A (en) | 2006-06-27 |
| CN1582192A (zh) | 2005-02-16 |
| DE60210800D1 (de) | 2006-05-24 |
| UA78727C2 (en) | 2007-04-25 |
| WO2003039707A1 (en) | 2003-05-15 |
| MXPA04003466A (es) | 2004-07-30 |
| PE20030657A1 (es) | 2003-07-29 |
| BR0213983A (pt) | 2004-08-31 |
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